The Bottom Line
For those planning to enter contests in the near future, this book is strongly recommended. Essential resource for the handicapper wanting to make the transition from pari-mutuel to contest play.
Pros
- Good summary of past contests and results
- Winning strategies for new contest players
- Excellent index of North American contests
Cons
- Very narrow focus - not a book for all fans
Description
- Handicapping tournaments are all the rage thanks to the National Handicapping Championship (NHC).
- With huge purses and a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas, the competition is fierce at qualifiers.
- Michaels sets out to help contestants win in this new arena, separate from the pari-mutuel wars.
- A history of contests from the inaugural World Series at Penn National in 1976 to the current NHC.
- In each case he briefly outlines the contest's rules and how it was won.
- A summary of the NHC's first three years with interview quotes from the winners and result charts.
- Racing fans whose focus is not on specifically contest strategy would not find this volume useful.
- Thus the star rating is aimed only at those interested in handicapping contests.
Guide Review - Book Review: 'Handicapping Contest Handbook'
Michaels gives detailed strategies on how you would use your selections in contest play. Most contests use NHC rules, so his basic strategy can be applied almost anywhere. He also interviewed 11 veterans for their secrets to success. He compiled an index of almost all tournaments in North America, of which most are qualifiers to the NHC. He lists where and when the contest is held, the maximum field size, entry fee, total purse, and rates the contest on its value-for-money and your odds of qualifying for the NHC by entering that contest. He outlines the contest's format and the prize money, and gives brief hints to success, such as the importance of knowing the local circuit and how best to apply the basic strategy under the local rules.
